cloudy
Americanadjective
-
full of or overcast by clouds.
a cloudy sky.
-
having little or no sunshine.
a cloudy but rainless day.
-
having cloudlike markings.
cloudy marble.
-
not clear or transparent; murky.
He could not see through the cloudy liquid.
-
darkened by gloom, trouble, etc.
-
under suspicion, disgrace, etc..
a gambler with a cloudy reputation.
adjective
-
covered with cloud or clouds
-
of or like a cloud or clouds
-
streaked or mottled like a cloud
-
opaque or muddy
-
obscure or unclear
-
troubled by gloom or depression
his face had a cloudy expression
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of cloudy
First recorded before 900; Middle English cloudi, Old English clūdig “rocky, hilly”; see cloud, -y 1
Explanation
When the sky is cloudy, it's so full of clouds that you can't see the sun. A cloudy day isn't ideal for a trip to the beach, and a cloudy night isn't great for star gazing. A cloudy sky tells you that rain's on the way, while a cloudy pond or a cloudy glass of water isn't translucent — you can't see through it. You can also describe an issue, thought, or memory as cloudy when it's vague or half-remembered or unclear. Cloudy comes from the Old English word clud, "mass of rock," and later "cloud," based on the way a cloud can resemble a rock or hill.
Vocabulary lists containing cloudy
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
North Sea coasts from Northumberland to Suffolk could remain cloudy and misty on Saturday but should be much sunnier on Sunday.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
Across the kitchen, one such professional, Pat Clougherty, poured himself a finger of the cloudy beverage, which had been bought in the local supermarket, into a rocks glass.
From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026
He somehow makes Diego and Zorro at once psychologically distinct and convincingly whole, even as their, which is to say his, identities grow cloudy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
The photos taken under cloudy skies June 7 mirrored those snapped all around the country lately.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
The sky was cloudy; there would be snow and more snow.
From "My Brother Sam is Dead" by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
A tough market in China is behind the cloudier outlook, the Munich-based group said, pointing to lower estimates for total sales in the overall Chinese auto market.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
Temperatures will be much closer to the seasonal average elsewhere across the country, though it may feel rather cool in the cloudier moments.
From BBC ● May 9, 2026
The picture is a little cloudier for actors in a supporting role, said Feinberg, with both male and female categories up for grabs.
From Barron's ● Mar. 1, 2026
The cloudier the solution, the fewer active viruses remained.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2025
The sky was getting cloudier, and in the darkness the cold seemed more intense.
From "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld
"A few clear spells are possible elsewhere across the UK too, but parts of west Britain, particularly the coasts and hills, will see the cloudiest conditions due to the south-westerly breeze."
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2023
May and June are usually Southern California’s cloudiest months, Sirard said, but the persistence of the trough made it even more so this year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2023
She had to stop driving; the sunlight on even the cloudiest day forced her to close her eyes.
From New York Times ● Aug. 11, 2021
He forgot how McEnroe’s eyes used to narrow as if against the noonday glare, even on the cloudiest of days.
From The New Yorker ● Aug. 24, 2018
Otherwise, winter is generally the cloudiest season and with a fairly high mean annual amount.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 5 "Clervaux" to "Cockade" by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.